Singing to an Ocean
by MondaysChild42
Summary: Nico didn't ask to be sent on this stupid cruise for 'problematic teens'. He certainly didn't ask for his roommate to be an annoyingly hyperactive elf boy. Leo isn't exactly happy with this silent, goth kid he's been forced to room with either. Valdangelo but with percabeth, jiper and frazel mentioned. Each chapter is based off a song.
1. Chapter 1: Homeward Bound (S & G)

_Hello! This is my first Valdangelo fic so I hope you enjoy. I was inspired by a book called Empty Quarter by Julia Golding where there is a cruise down the Nile for children which is an idea I fell in love with and I am recycling for this fic._

Nico knew he was going to hate the Olympus Educational Programme as soon as he saw the brochure. He had been eating breakfast with his half-sister, Hazel, when their father had appeared and brandished the shiny leaflet beneath at the pair. The brochure had shown a modern cruise ship with a group of teenagers in purple and orange t-shirts with forced, painful smiles as they were frozen in fake laughter. Far too enthusiastically their father had started explaining how brilliant the reviews for the programme were and how much it helped children who had been through trauma and major changes adjust to normal life. It was obvious that this had been their bitch of stepmother's idea, wanting Nico and Hazel out of the house for as long as legally possible. A six month long cruise around Europe for 'troubled teenagers' was perfect - they didn't even have to come back home for holidays like the two did when they went to the various boarding schools she sent to. It was also nearly impossible to be expelled from the programme and it was much harder to run away when in the middle of the Mediterranean.

Despite Nico's moans and Hazel's protests their father had signed them up for the stupid thing, not wanting to make his latest wife, Persephone and his eccentric mother-in-law, Demeter angry. Hazel and Nico had watched all they owned packed in boxes and sent to Amsterdam where their 'luxury cruise liner' would set off.

They would then sail up to Edinburgh in Scotland before working their way down the British Coast, eventually sailing up the Thames to London. After leaving London they visited Dover, crossed the English Channel to France and Belgium which they would spend several weeks touring around cities like Brussels and Paris. They would then cruise down the French Coastline, visiting various towns and tourist attractions before getting to Spain. More touring around Spain and Portugal's coastal cities before entering the Mediterranean. They'd visit France, Italy, Malta, Greece, Turkey and even Tunisia before sailing back across the Atlantic, stopping at a few islands along the way.

Nico couldn't care less, he hadn't even heard of many of the places that their ship was stopping at. Hazel had slowly warmed up to the idea of visiting Europe a place neither of them had been to, but Nico was determined to stubbornly remain frosty towards the whole ordeal despite the fact it would mean Hazel and Nico could get away from their distant father and evil stepmother. Bianca would have understood that even though he hated being at the house he would prefer it to being stuck on a boat, in a room with a stranger for a whole year, while adults tried to diagnose and 'fix him'. He didn't need to be fixed. He wasn't broken.

Now he was sitting in an Amsterdam railway station, an overnight suitcase with him watching Hazel tried to ask a cleaner where the toilets were. They had flown into the city a night ago and were now waiting for the cruise companies car to pick then up from He watched his half sister wander off in a direction the cleaner had pointed in.

As she disappeared round a corner he pulled his packet of cigarettes and light one, ignoring the no smoking sign across the platform. No one apart from the cleaner was around and he was preoccupied with mopping up a pool of sick. Poor man. Nico took a lungful of the smoke and slowly breathed it out. Smoking was the latest in his list of frowned upon habits. He didn't even like smoking but his father had been angry when he had found out Nico had been smoking and that had been satisfying. His father deserved to be unhappy for sending Nico and Hazel away without a second thought. It had been the first time his father had talked to him in a month. Anyway, as unpleasant as it tasted the cigarette helped Nico to relax.

As he took his second lungful of hot smoke he heard a shout and saw the cleaner gesturing angrily to the no smoking sign Nico had chosen to ignore. Sighing he stubbed out the faintly glowing cigarette on the cold metal bench he was sitting at. He flicked the ashes onto the grey concrete floor. It was cold Nico noticed faintly but didn't really acknowledge it. He was lost in thought, thinking about his room back home.

Home. Italy, where he and Bianca had grown up. He remembered the small house somewhere near the Alps where they had lived. Vague memories of his mother smiling and laughing - chatting to him in Italian as she cooked. She had run a café, selling cakes and coffee to passing tourists and old women from the nearby village. Her cakes had been magical and beautifully decorated. It was how his father had met her, stopping for coffee when on his way to Switzerland. They had fallen in love and married but it had fallen apart a few months after Nico was born. He hadn't known why for years but now he guessed his mother had found out about his father's affair with a woman called Marie Levesque down in New Orleans. Hazel had been born and his mother became suspicious at the increase in 'business trips' back to America. Nico was angry at his father for cheating on his mother but he cared about Hazel. Not like he had loved Bianca before the accident. But he did really care about Hazel.

Then his mother had been killed. She had been a singer at a restaurant every Friday night, wearing a red dress and crooning out old jazz tunes. She had had a lovely voice. Nico could just about remember her singing him to sleep. But one night the building which the bar was in was hit by a drunk driver. The old, unstable wall had collapsed causing the roof to fall in, dragging the rest of the walls with it. She had been up on stage when the ceiling fell onto the people sitting inside. The paramedics told his father that she had died instantly but Nico alway had always been worried. How awful and painful had that instant been? Had she realised she was dying?Did she think of Nico and Bianca, the two toddlers she was leaving behind?

Bianca and Nico had been taken to New York with their father. It had been so different from Italy but it had become home. Nico's bedroom had a view of Central Park and Bianca had been just next door. They had taught themselves morse code so they could tap out messages to each other if they woke up in the middle of the night. It had been home.

And then Bianca had her accident. Nico's father had decided to move away from New York where every street reminded him of his daughter. They'd moved to the cold, large house which had been empty and definitely not home. Eventually the the emptiness had been filled up, first by Evil Bitch Stepmother and her mother and then by Hazel, Nico's half-sister though you would never guess that they were related by looking at them - Nico was stick thin with almost translucent looking skin and dark hair while Hazel took after her mother; dark skin with a mass of brown curls and an innocent face. Nico in comparison was serious, scary, almost dead looking. They were almost opposites in respect to their personalities as well, Hazel a sweet, friendly, optimistic person while Nico was moody, pessimistic and introverted.

Hazel was walking back towards him and their suitcases. She smiled at him as she sat down, pulling one of his earbuds out and cutting off the voices of Simon and Garfunkel. He gave her a half smile back as she asked, "No one arrived while I was away?" Nico shook his head and Hazel sighed and checked her watch. "They should be here any minute now," she sniffed the air and frowned at Nico, "What's that smell? Have you been smoking again?" Nico shrugged nonchalantly, causing Hazel to groan and scold him, "Nico! You need to stop that! You'll just get cancer or some other disease! It smells horrible anyway!" Nico rolled his eyes at his half-sister and childishly shot back, "It's fine Hazel. I don't need looking after - I'm older than you anyway!" Hazel sounded sad as she adjusted his coat and replied, "I wouldn't be so sure about Nico."

Nico frowned at Hazel and was about to reply when an overly cheerful voice shouted down the platform at them, "Hello! Are you Nico DiAngelo and Hazel Levesque? I'm Mellie - from Olympian Cruises!" They looked up to see a small pretty lady hurrying towards them, her hair fluttering behind her in an unnoticeable breeze. She was holding a clip board and had a welcoming smile plastered across her face. Hazel and Nico rose, picking up their bags as Mellie approached them. She tucked her clipboard under one arm as she shook their hands, babbling away. "It's so nice to meet you, it's great to have you on the trip. I'm sorry Argus and I are so late - one girl was having a little difficulty leaving her hotel room - wasn't very happy about going on the cruise. Do you need help with those bags?" Without waiting for an answer she swooped down and grabbed the two small cases fro the pair. Hazel and Nico followed her as she swept down the stairs, still talking at them.

They reached a sleek black car at which a man in a chauffeurs uniform was waiting. He took the cases and slung them in the trunk before nodding silently at Nico and Hazel as he opened the door for them to slide in. His sleeve rode up his arm a little and Nico saw a tattoo of what looked like an eye. Mellie fluttered into the passenger seat as the tattoo man Nico presumed was Argus sat behind the steering wheel. As the car began to purr away from the station Mellie wrinkled her nose, "Is that - cigarette smoke?" Hazel looked pointedly at Nico with a look in her eyes that said 'I told you so'. Luckily Mellie couldn't see the glare. "We sat next to someone on the train who had been smoking," lied Hazel fluently, shooting Nico an evil look.

Nico sank back into the leather seat and tried to pretend he wasn't there. Buildings and people blurred past the window and he pretended to admire the view. Mellie chattered on but Nico blanked her words out. He did not want to be there at all. A cinema flashed past, as well as an old, abandoned factory building and a playing field before the car suddenly left the main clump of buildings behind and was speeding along by the grey sea.

As the car reached the docks it slowed, navigating round the sharp twists in the roads carefully despite Mellie's anxious glances at her watch. The boats knocked gently against the concrete walls and people bustled about. Then in the midst of the dull, weather-worn container ships appeared a gleaming white cruise ship.

Nico had known the ship was huge, with two swimming pools, a gym and over 30 rooms but he hadn't expected it to seem this massive. It loomed threateningly over Nico and Hazel as they slowly approached it, reflecting their dislike for the whole programme but Mellie seemed relieved to be there. She rushed to get their bags and shoved them into the pairs hands, obviously wanting to get them onto the ship. Hurrying up to the ship she turned to Nico and Hazel and smiled. "We're just in time. Welcome to the Argo II."


	2. Chapter 2: Amsterdam (Imagine Dragons)

The Argo II was freaking epic. Leo had to admit that. He didn't want to be stuck on the ship with a bunch of rich snobs who would probably look down on him for being the 'charity case' of the programme but the ship itself was awesome. For a start it was massive - Leo had only been on it for an hour or so and he'd gotten lost twice and only bumped into one other person. It was also amazingly luxurious and Leo had spotted signs leading to an indoor swimming pool (there was one on the front deck as well), two lounges, a games room, a library, a theatre/cinema, a gym (with a rock climbing wall), a spa as well as a casino which he was pretty sure wasn't legal on a 'school boat'.

The guy who had picked him up from his hotel and taken him to the boat, Mr

Brunner or something, had explained the ship had been a donation after a holiday company went bust. Leo had a hard time believing that any company would willing give up a ship like the Argo II but he wasn't nosy enough to look into the legality of the whole enterprise. There were worse places to be stuck for the next few months even if the only girl he had seen so far looked like a total rich brat, dressed up in designer gear and scowling at him as he passed. She had reminded him of his cousin Angela, his Aunt Rosa's daughter who had always done her best to make him feel least at home as possible whenever he stayed there. She'd always been particularly unwelcoming, especially after his mum- Angela had been a complete bitch the whole time. Gone on about how Leo was a disappointment, how no one wanted a hyperactive pyromaniac around.

Angela had been a bitch but she did have a point. No one did want him around. He was baggage passed around various family members until he had been old enough to be sent to boarding school; which he had been expelled from after nearly burning it down. It had been an accident, okay. It wasn't Leo's fault a bunch of kids thought it would be a good idea to mess around in his workshop. Since then he had been sent to school after school after school and expelled or asked to leave nearly every time. Or he had run away from bullies or cruel teachers. Finally he had been enrolled in the Olympus Educational Programme and here he was. It sucked.

Leo followed one of the many signs to a spacious room where a few bored children sat around the tables, most in sulky silence. Leo approached a boy with golden hair who was chatting to a pretty girl in a ski jacket. The girl smiled at him as he got closer, "Hey. I'm Piper, this is Jason. You are?"

"Leo Valdez. Prisoner number 42, judging from the number of my cell." To his relief the pair laughed. He slumped down beside them on the ridiculously soft chair. It felt like sinking into a cloud. He struggled upright before continuing, "So, what are you two juvinile deliquents on the cruise of a lifetime for?"

To his suprise the golden boy, Jason, answered first. "Memory problems. I had amnesia a couple of years back so apparently I need a bunch of therapy and all my 'troublesome' behaviour stems from that. What my dad doesn't get is that I really don't care that I can't remember certain things, I just really hate being treated like a three year old. You?"

"Ah you know, the usual. Disruptive, ADHD, pyromaniac, traumatised, etc." Leo said casually. He didn't really want to go into detail about his problems. Piper grinned at his careless tone. "I know what you mean. ADHD here as well as kleptomaniac. Just your average teenage girl troubles," she said equally as cooly. Both Leo and Jason smirked. Leo had to admit that these guys weren't so bad, even if the sexual tension between the two was a bit distracting.

Just as Jason began to say something a short, angry looking man strode into the room holding a megaphone. "Alright, listen up cupcakes!" He shouted through it, "I'm Coach Hedge and I'm in charge of discipline on this ship. So don't get on the wrong side of me. In a few minutes an official representative of the company will be here to give a speech and you all better listen carefully, or else!" A nervous murmur of laughter spread around the cabin as the Coach scowled at them over his megaphone. "You think that I'm joking?" Yelled the coach, "I am not joking! You cupcakes better sit pretty while Mr D does his talk and once he leaves you can all go wild. But you can't. Cause I'm gonna be in charge and in the wild big things eat little things and I may be little but there is no way in hell I am going to get eaten. You better listen to me if you want to stay on this boat and alive!" A pretty lady standing beside the door rushed in at that point and grabbed the megaphone. Sounding rather flustered, she spoke to the group gathered in the lounge, "Alright, thank you Coach, that's all we need right now. I'm Mellie and in a couple of minutes Mr D will be here."

There was a loud commotion outside the double doors to the lounge and a short, fat man in a Hawaiian shirt strode in, followed by a bearded man in a wheelchiar who Leo recognised as Mr Brunner. The man in the Hawaiian shirt, Leo presumed he was Mr D, took a sip out of the diet coke can he was holding and set it down carefully on a coffee table before stepping up to the centre of the room. "Hello young gentlemen and ladies," he said in a bored tone, "I'm Mr D, managing director of this programme, blah de blah de blah. I'm supposed to be welcoming, helpful but stern but I don't see the point. So welcome all of you to this cruise, etc, etc and don't break so many rules we have to kick you off. Okay, goodbye." With that he stepped towards the side of the room, spoke a few words to Mr Brunner before taking his coke and walking out of the doors. Mr Brunner rolled himself forwards, "I'm Chiron, not Mr Brunner, just Chiron. That's all we have to tell you right now. You have free time until dinner tonight, which is at 7:00 in the dining hall. I hope you can all find where that is. After that we will have group bonding activities. For now you can get to know eachother and don't go mad just yet. Please don't blow anything up before we leave port tomorrow as that would be a bad start to the voyage," he said jokingly.

Leo raised his eyebrows. He was exactly who Mr Brunner was talking about he guessed. Blowing things up was kind of his forte. He turned to Piper and Jason only to find they had been joined by a small girl with frizzy, dark hair and almost golden eyes. She was very pretty and had a sweet smile. She sort of reminded Leo of Caly- but no, this girl was completely different. "Hey I'm Hazel and this is my half-brother, Nico," she said, gesturing to a very pale, skinny kid behind her dressed all in black. Leo was taken aback by how different the two were. Nico looked almost ghost like, translucent while Hazel seemed vibrant with dark skin. Looking at them both you could hardly believe they were related. Noticing the threes confusion Hazel explained, "We both take after our mothers which is why we look nothing alike. Same dad but neither of us look at all like him either." Jason nodded in understanding. Piper smiled at Hazel and made room for her to sit at the table they were at. Hazel gratefully perched on the spare seat. Nico slumped into an armchair and still didn't speak. There were a few moments of strained silence before Piper asked the group, "So, which rooms are you guys in? I'm in room 24." Hazel gave a small laugh before saying, "So am I! We're going to be roomates then!" Piper grinned, "Oh my god, it's going to be so much fun." Hazel nodded her agreement. Jason spoke up, "I'm in room 10 but I know that I'm with a guy called Percy so I won't be with any of you guys." Leo inwardly sighed a little. Jason seemed like a nice guy and he had been hoping that he could be in the same room as him. He'd probably get stuck with some loser jerk who took delight in beating him up and destroying his stuff, knowing his luck.

Then the Nico kid spoke up, "I'm in cabin 42 but I don't know who my roomate is yet." Leo's head jerked up in suprise and the quiet, soft voice which didn't quite fit with the boys sullen appearance. "Hey, so am I! Guess we're room buddies for now then!" Leo said, overly cheerfully. Nico looked up at him through his too long black hair. "Oh. Okay." He said, his tone slightly annoyed. Leo raised his eyebrows. He could already tell this cruise was going to be so much fun.


	3. Chapter 3: Icarus (Bastille)

Nico liked being high up. He loved the feeling of the wind, the freedom of the sky and the adrenaline and balance being the only thing keeping you from falling. It felt like flying and Nico never fell. Even as a small child he had been a climber, clambering up to the highest branches of trees; despite the fact Bianca had always scolded him afterwards. After Bianca's accident Nico had found that if you go high enough no one would come up after you. The higher up you were, the easier it was to be alone.

The top of the radio tower was definitely not the safest place and Nico knew he'd get yelled at if caught, especially if Hazel found out; she could get pretty terrifying when angry. But Nico knew he wouldn't get caught. Everyone was busy at the 'getting to know eachother game night'. Nico had taken one look at the crowded room, full of large, violent kids sent off by their rich parents in the vain hope they would come back as less of a brat, and walked straight out. Hazel would probably have a go at him later but he didn't care. Sitting around and getting to know some of the kids he had seen seemed like the dictionary definition of hell to him. In the situation Nico was in he didn't really care if he fell. In a way part of him wanted to.

So he had grabbed a book and made his way to the highest point of the ship. He had watched the bright lights of Amsterdam grow smaller and smaller for a while, until they had been swallowed up into the horizon. It was too dark to read properly but Nico had sat there, alone with his thoughts and the wind. Alone was a good place to be, even if his thoughts were sometimes painful. But there was something about the chilly wind and the sound waves sloshing against the moving hull that calmed Nico, making him forget about the pain he usually felt.

And it had been peaceful for once. Until the elf-like, overly-cheerful guy he was sharing a cabin with had come along and shattered the peace.

Okay, the guy, whatshisname (Nico was rubbish with names), didn't exactly know Nico was there and hadn't actually said anything, but his general presence sort of ruined the whole alone feeling Nico had be luxuriating in. And once he realised Nico was up there he would inevitably start a conversation, which Nico dreaded.

The guy (Liam or L-something) had stopped for a moment practically underneath Nico and was watching the sea, just like Nico had been doing. He was still standing like he was about to walk off but he was frozen in thought, staring across the black water. Nico didn't know how the guy could wear only a t-shirt in the biting wind while Nico was freezing in his aviator jacket but he didn't look cold. Curiosity took the better of Nico, drowning out the annoyance he had felt moments before and he leant over to see the expression on the boys face, just to get a glimpse of his mood.

His book (a battered copy of Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy) slipped of his lap where it had been sitting, forgotten and tumbled to the deck, hitting the ground a meter away from the boy. The way the startled boy jumped was comical. Nico felt a mixture of laughter and panicked embarassment bubble inside him. The guy looked up, his expression now wide-eyed and suprised. He squinted into the darkness and spotted Nico. Recognition and amusement replaced the momentary terror in his face. "Hey, you up there. I'd appreciate it if you didn't try to drop books on me regularly, I mean we are room sharing," he joked. Nico sort of wanted to laugh but the embarressed panic feeling silenced him. The jovial smile slipped from the boys face to be replaced with a flash of disappointment. It was so easy to read the boys feelings on his face, he was an open book; the complete opposite to Nico who was closed off even when he was happy.

The boy quickly covered up his disappointment with a friendly question, "So why are you up there instead of at the meet-and-greet?" Nico sighed inwardly and braced himself for the polite conversation he'd have to take part in. "Didn't seem like my sort of thing," he replied in his best flat and unwelcoming voice. Still the boy persisted in not getting the message. "Yeah, I know what you mean. There are several people in there I'd hate to get on the wrong side of. But some are pretty cool- you should come and meet some of them. I'd be happy to introduce you if you want." Not a chance in hell, thought Nico sarcastically. He really did not want to have to socialise with other equally messed up kids but he kept his facial expression blank and his voice cold. "I'd rather not. I'm alright reading up here thanks." The boy shrugged, his attention already fading away from Nico.

He leant down and picked up Nicos book from where it had landed and glanced at the cover. Gesturing to the book he shouted up, "You want this back?" Nico nodded, the realising that the boy probably couldn't see him clearly, swung down onto the deck. He held out his hand for the book and the boy handed it to him. As Nico went to climb back up to the radio mast the boy called out to him. "Hey. It's getting dark and if you're going to read you might want this." He said holding out a torch he had just pulled from the yellow tool belt he wore. Nico took it, suprised at the gesture. The boy then pulled out a packet of mints from the belt and offered one to Nico, who declined with a shake of his head. Nico stared at the boy who gave him a cheeky grin, "Toolbelts are pretty awesome for holding stuff. You never know what you'll need or when." Nico nodded mutely and the strange wisdom. "Thanks for the torch," he said as the boy- whathisface- turned to go.

The boy glanced over his shoulder and shrugged, "It's nothing. Good book by the way." With that he was gone. Nico climbed back up to his previous spot, feeling slightly confused by his roomate.

Maybe this cruise wasn't going to be as awfully boring as Nico had expected.


	4. Chapter 4:The Fool on the Hill (Beatles)

Leo was quickly becoming to his familiar role as the seventh wheel. It was a place he had been many times in the past; watching his friends slowly become boyfriend and girlfriend, he just hadn't expected in on such a large scale.

On the first day of his cruise he had met Jason and Piper who he had considered pretty cool. They were both awesome and really nice but had almost immediately started dating after they had snuck out one night and watched the stars on the deck of the boat. Then there was Percy and Annabeth who had already been together long before he met them and being anywhere around the two made Leo feel conspicuously single. Not that he minded being single - that is. He would just prefer to be in a happy relationship, with someone nice and sweet. Someone like Hazel.

Not that he was hitting on Hazel or anything but he had really liked her and for a moment he had forgotten about Calypso. Just for a moment, then Frank bumbled into their group. It wasn't that Leo didn't like Frank. It just became obvious from the moment Frank and Hazel were introduced that sparks were flying (literally, due to an accident that **totally was not Leo's fault**). And that had made Leo a bit jealous, he was ashamed to admit.

Just a little bit.

Leo had tried to forget about Hazel. He sort of did. Within a couple of days he had been introduced to the gorgeous, punk girl Thalia and Leo had developed a massive idolisation crush and constantly flirted with her. Then it turned out she was asexual, something that Jason told him one day, with a warning to stop hitting on his sister. Then he had met Khione who was really, really pretty but completely horrible and her brothers sort of worried Leo. Then he had met Reyna who was really attractive but he was sort of scared she would beat him up if he even talked to her. So Leo had given up on them and sort of just accepted he had rubbish taste in women. And men. People, really. Leo had never been good with organic life forms, as his mother had onced joked. Of course there had been Calypso but he didn't want to think about that.

So Leo had given up on finding his 'special someone' on the Argo II as so many other kids were doing. The number of couples on the Argo were already so numerous that he couldn't even count it on his hands. A few had even broken up already, a week into the voyage, which had created some very embarrassing situations.

To be completely honest the whole trip had been one embarrassing situation after another. Leo had managed to blow a couple of things already, plenty of fights had broken out (Leo had tried, unsuccessfully, to stay out of the rivalries) as well as a bunch of temper tantrums, runaways (very interesting on a ship) and problems. Leo felt like he was on a reality TV show and they were only a week in. He kept wanting to check for hidden cameras, the amount of drama that had happened

The only person who hadn't been taking part in this drama had been his mysterious roomate Nico DiAngelo. He had only properly talked to the kid a couple of times after he had tried to brain Leo with Hitchikers. Both times the boy had been cold, ending the conversation as quickly as possible to get away. Leo had a feeling Nico didn't really like him.

He hadn't actually seen Nico much, strangely enough. They were both in the Greek team for activities, the other two being Romans and Monsters but Nico only turned up for registration before disappearing for the rest of the day. He'd never seen the kid wearing the teams bright orange t-shirt, just a black t-shirt and the too-big aviator jacket he always wore. He was strange.

He didn't seem to be around the room much either. Leo spent most of the free time hanging about Jason and Percy's cabin with various people other people but Nico was never in the cabin when he got back. He sometimes heard the boy slip in late at night, way past curfew but he was usually gone before Leo woke up. It was like the kid was avoiding him, or Hazel who checked if Nico was in his room every night just before curfew. Leo always felt a pang of guilt when her face fell when he once again told her Nico wasn't there. He felt really bad for Hazel being stuck with Nico for a brother, she was such a friendly kind person while Nico, he had no idea what Nico was like but mysterious seemed to sum up what he knew.

"Oi, dreamer," Piper said snapping her fingers in front of Leo's vacant face. He jumped snapping back to the present. Everyone around him was staring at him expectantly. "Sorry, my mind was taking a trip to Australia. It was way better than this dump - thanks a bunch Piper," he rolled his eyes, a slight smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah. So if to so great there I'll take it you don't want to play truth or dare then," she replied sighing dramatically. Leo raised his eyebrows in mock horror, "Me? Leo, the master of dares? I could never turn down such a challenge! How dare you insult my honour!" Piper rolled her eyes and gave a half smile. "Okay, Leo's in as well. Anyone else want to play?" There was silence as everyone looked around expectantly. Finally Percy got up saying, "I'll skip the first round. Nature calls, Grover can take my place." He squeezed Annabeths hand as Grover, a skinny boy on crutches who had been sitting opposite him protested. Percy laughed at him jokingly and Grover thwacked him with the crutches as he walked past. The girl next to Grover, Juniper, giggled shyly and volunteered to join the game, glancing at Grover quickly. He smiled back at her, emphasizing how forever alone Leo was currently feeling.

"Is that everyone?" Asked Piper again looking around, "Tyson? No? What about you Ella? You wanna play?" The redhead shook her head jerkily and returned to her book. A soft voice from the door spoke up, "You're playing truth or dare? I'll join." Everyone's head turned to see who had spoken. Nico DiAngelo was leaning against the door, his dark hair falling across his face. Hazel quickly spoke, breaking the silence that had formed suddenly. "Yeah, sure! Come on, you can sit here," she said enthusiastically, shuffling away from Leo, towards Frank, to create room for the skinny, pale boy. As Nico went to sit down, ignoring the silence that had desended on the group like a fog.

Piper recovered from her shock and confusion and began organising the dares. No one had really seen or spoken to Nico at all on the cruise apart from Hazel (and Leo but no one knew about their conversation). He had become a sort of legend, much to Hazels obvious irritation, but now he was sitting among them, cross-legged in a circle, to play truth-or-dare and he was just a normal person. Everyone stared curiously at him as Nico concentrated on Piper talking.

"Jason, you're going first," stated Piper, reading his name off the scrap of crumpled paper she had just pulled out of the substitute hat, "Truth or dare?"

Ten minutes later Jason was sitting shirtless (Piper's idea but no one was complaining), Grover and Hazel had switched outfits, Frank had been forced to sing the whole of the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins to everyone in the room and Leo had been given a rather fabulous makeover by a very willing Silena Beauregard and her friends. Annabeth had admitted some pretty embarrassing facts about her relationship much to the amusement of everyone there. Pretty much the whole group was in hysterics apart from Nico who hadn't given more than a slight smile.

His turn was next though and Leo had some pretty devilish ideas. He could see it in a few others faces as well. They were going to get Nico embarressed and laughing if it killed them. When Nico chose dare to Pipers dramatic question Leo made eye contact with the redheaded Rachel sitting opposite him. They both grinned evilly and turned to the boy. "Dare, huh? Well, I have a few interesting ideas. What about making him wear his underwear on his head for the rest of the night? Including at dinner?" Leo asked in a conversational tone. Rachel tutted, "I don't know, didn't Percy have to do that a couple of nights ago? It would be a bit boring making everyone see the same thing again. I was thinking more along the fact that column over there really reminds me of a stripper pole." She pointed it out as horror dawned on Nicos face and he protested, "No. No way. Wait- Percy who?" Leo smiled sweetly at him, "What a wonderful idea, my friend. It's a shame that he doesn't want to; we weren't even going to make him strip all the way. It isn't very sportsman like. Could even be counted as cowardly I think." He sighed dramatically watching Nico frown and become angry. Everyone watched the teens internal struggle, stifling their laughter. It was only when Juniper snorted, very daintily, and tried to hide it that Nico got up, his face stony and his cheeks beginning to turn red.

"Fine. I'll do it. I won't be insulted by a painted whore anyway," he stormed as he slowly made his way to the column. Leo gasped in faux shock at Nicos comment as everyone cheered. The column was in the center of the room, in view of everyone - including the rather scary, hulking group of Monsters in their green tshirts who had looked up from their corner. Everyone watched Nico approach the column, followed by the wolf whistles and joke suggestive comments coming from the group.

Just as he reached the soon-to-be-strip-pole and stopped to shoot an icy glare back at the group, especially aimed at Leo who smiled innocently back, Percy entered. He was carrying a giant bottle of coca cola and several jumbo packets of snack food which he unceremoniously dumped on the coffee table next to the circle, to the sound of cheers - especially from Grover who dived for the Doritos. He dropped beside Annabeth, kissing her on the cheek while she swatted him away. He grinned at her, sloppily, before turning round to the with a grin on his face, "Nice makeup Leo and I'm liking the skirt Grover, really suits you. So what did I miss?" Thalia, who had been sitting opposite him leant back saying, "Shut up Jackson. Nico's about to give us all a show."

Percy laughed and turned to where everyone was staring; Nico. His laughter stopped abruptly and he stared in shock at the younger boy who was glaring back at him in horror. Any colour that had been in Nico's face drained away and he chocked out, "P-Percy. Percy Jackson," as if it were an insult. Leo looked between the two, confused as everyone else. Annabeth muttered a worried question to her boyfriend but he didn't reply. He was still staring at Nico. "Nico, I- I didn't realise you were on this ship," he stuttered out, as if he was struggling to find the words. Nico gave him a cold, evil glare and turned quickly to go; rushing past all the people staring at him and ignoring Hazel's questions. Leo looked after the boy, tempted to follow but instead he turned back to the group - all of them babbling questions at Percy who looked slightly shell-shocked. Nico DiAngelo was even more of an enigma than Leo had thought.


	5. Chapter 5: Teenagers (MCR)

**Trigger Warning: self harm, swearing and generally depressing themes so I will put another mark where the triggering bits end (with a summary) for if you don't want to read it.**

It was some sort of sick cosmic joke, it had to be. Percy Jackson. Aboard this ship. Some cruel god was having a laugh right now, not caring about Nico. And it was only a few days after the day when she- when the accident happened. And he was here, so happy the whole time; not even remembering her while Nico could hardly be around people cause the memories hurt so much.

Nico should have guessed - Bianca had told him about Thalia and Annabeth so he should have made a connection. But his mind was always so muddled and pain striken during that week that he hadn't even thought about it.

He was sobbing now, he hadn't sobbed like this for so long. Not since the accident had happened. He had only cried properly once after that, at the funeral but then he had shut his emotions out. He had tried to pretend, for his father, for Hazel, for himself but the reminder of Percy Jackson had broken down his fragile walls, causing the tears to spill over the dam.

He imagined Percy sitting up there, with the others, telling them why Nico had reacted like that. Maybe some of them would laugh, thinking he was stupid. Leo, his roomate, didn't seem to be able to take anything seriously; why wouldn't he laugh at Nico's pathetic story? He had quite liked them, despite the fact they were going to make him strip and he had really been trying to be part of the group. Hazel had caught him a last nights before and made him take his meds and they had talked for a bit. She had asked him to at least meet her friends but she didn't know about Percy. She couldn't, Nico had never told her much about Bianca's accident. And he had felt a bit better. The meds had helped to pull him out of the black hole he always desended into around the anniversary of the accident. Nico had begun to feel like he was alive again.

And then the boy he hated most had appeared. All the pain and other emotions he had stashed away, ignored had been forced to the surface just as his walls were mending. The meds had chased away some cobwebs but when the full wave of pain hit they were useless. Nico felt angry. Angry that the universe hated him that much. It was too much of a coincidence to be real. This week of all weeks; the week his mother and sister had passed away - years apart. The worst week and the worst person involved. The one boy who messed his emotions about so much Nico could barely think. He just wanted to be able to think!

His hands were shaking. He felt numb and cold but at the same time he could feel an anguished scream building in his throat. He felt like he had been shocked but inside him he had an ocean of pain and anger broiling inside. He let the scream out in a shaken, choked sob but it didn't lessen the pain. He needed to let the wash of hurtful emotions out, he needed something to distract him from the cloud covering his thoughts. He barely realised he was doing it but he had stumbled over to his case, hardly opened so far on the trip. He hadn't even unpacked. He pulled out a bag. Hazel had tried to stop him packing it but he had snuck it on anyway. There was a knife and then Nico was running the blade across his arm, red blood welling up in the thin lines. The physical, sharp sting cleared the suffocating cloud in his head slightly; he did it over and over again, slicing through recently scarred skin.

His arm hurt like hell but the choking swelling sob or scream that had been growing inside of him had lessened. He no longer felt overwhelmed by uncontrollable emotions. He leant his head on his knees, holding his bleeding arms away from him, and cried. Large tears rolled down his cheeks and landed on his jeans. Nico could only hope no one walked in on him like this; a bloody, snotty mess slumped on the floor leaning against a bed.

He'd been walked in on before when cutting himself. His step-mother Persephone had barged into his room one day and seen him. Nico got sent to another therapist; one who dealt with the really troubled cases. He had heard Persephone whispering to his father about how Nico was not only a danger to himself but a danger to everyone else around him and his fathers reputation. Nico hadn't been feeling any urges to kill or maim anyone up till that point. There were too many conversations that had been hushed as soon as he walked into the room for him to feel at home in that house.

Then Hazel had arrived, cheerful and kind but nearly as damaged as he. She didn't like to talk about her life before she met Nico but he knew her mother had been abusive. He loved Hazel, not like he had loved Bianca and he had heard too many muttered comparisons between them to feel safe telling her what he did to himself. But he knew that she had guessed that he hurt himself. He took a deep shuddering breath and looked imagined Bianca's face if she could see him now. Shocked, horrified, disappointed. It only made Nico hate himself more.

There was a noise from outside the door. Nico stopped breathing; someone was about to see him. He turned his head slowly, looking round at the door which he noticed was swinging open. He must have forgotten to close it when he rushed in. The open door had banged against the wall; no one had seen him. After several moments Nico let out his breath in a relieved sigh. He was crouching on the floor in a very uncomfortable position he realised, straightening up. Blood began to run off his arm but he stopped it, wincing as his hand touched the broken skin. He felt clearer, scared out of the hole he had been burying himself in.

He washed away the blood and tears and pulled on his aviators jacket, ignoring the burn on his injured arm. He hid the blade underneath the bed and slumped onto the duvet. He didn't know what he was going to do. He couldn't face Percy Bloody Jackson every day for the next six months. He didn't want to keep hiding away like he had been this week but maybe it was the best option for him and everyone else. No one really wanted him around and people around him usually ended up hurt in some way. It would be best if he just disappeared into the background of the ship again. Let Chiron contact his father. Maybe his father would bring him home and he'd never have to see Percy ever again. He didn't want to see him ever again. He really didn't.

**End of trigger warning. Nico recognises Percy and connects him with Bianca's death (does not explain the circumstances of her death or why Percy is involved) the anniversary of which was only a few days before - explaining why he hadn't talked to anyone not the ship. He breaks down and cuts himself. He thinks he hears something and goes to look but no one is there. This distraction means he calms himself down enough to clean up and he considers getting himself sent home so he'd never have to see Percy again. **

The door was still swinging open which was why Nico didn't notice Leo Valdez walking in until the boy was right by his bed. Nico sat up suddenly as Leo asked, "Hey, are you okay?" He spun round, eyes wide and saw the elvish boy standing in the doorway a concerned expression on his face. "I'm fine. There's nothing wrong. Why do you ask?" Nico said quickly. Too quickly. Leo raised an eyebrow and looked intently at Nico for a moment before replying, "Alright then. Hazel sent me down to check if you were okay. You looked pretty upset when you saw Percy." Nico froze at Percy's name and coldly replied, "I'm fine." Leo nodded doubtfully, his eyebrows raised. They could both feel the questions hanging in the air between them; how do you know Percy, why do you hate him, what happened between you two? But Leo didn't ask and Nico was too stubborn to reply.

Finally Leo broke the tense silence, asking the pale boy, "So, are you going to come back up to the deck for dinner or..? Nico shook his head sullenly. He didn't feel up to facing Hazel or any of the others, especially Percy, just yet. He didn't have it in him. "Oh come on," Leo chided cheerily, "We're stopping at Oslo tonight to refuel. We won't be allowed to shore but it will be good to see civilisation for once, a rare sight on this ship. Anyway, it's Christmas in a few days and Chiron and Mellie are going to be planning the parties and stuff tonight. It will be fun." Nico shook his head and turned away from Leo. He felt Leo stand there for a few moments before shrugging and leaving.

He knew the guy was only trying to be friendly but Nico didn't want friends. It was best for everyone if they stayed away from him and it would minimise the damage when Nico finally decided to go. He didn't need friends.


	6. Chapter 6: Be Still (the killers)

Leo knew that when you walked on on someone cutting their wrists you should try to stop them. You definitely should not turn around and walk the way you came. But that's what he had done when he had seen Nico, alone in his room.

Leo's brain had just shut down. He couldn't remember turning away but a few minutes later he had found himself climbing up the stairs back to Hazel and his friends. He had stopped, the realisation of what he had seen hitting him. He had swore and punched the wall in frustration. He had to go back and talk to Nico. Leo whose main method of communication was humour, who preferred machines and computers to most people knew it was his responsibility to go back and help Nico.

So he had, rather ineffectually he had to admit. Leo had been grateful when he walked back in to see Nico lying on the bed, no longer slitting his wrists. He hadn't mentioned what he had seen and he didn't think Nico knew. He hadn't asked what Nico's problem with Percy was; it was none of his business and if Hazel didn't know then he doubted Nico was very ready to talk about it. Percy had refused to say anything about it and apart from a few curious glances no one had pushed it.

But Nico had been as cold as ever, obviously hiding something from Leo. But he had seemed stable enough so Leo had left him. And that had brought up even more bad memories than before. He couldn't help but be reminded of Calypso but of course her and Nico where amazingly different. Still, the reminder was painful enough, small as it was.

But he had done what he had always done. Kept walking, kept on smiling.

He had been smiling when he got back to the group, most of them chatting together. Percy sat silently frowning, holding Annabeth's hand. Occasionally she squeezed his hand and looked concernedly at him but he only smiled sadly back.

He had sat down and laughed with them, trying to forget about Nico and what he had seen. When Hazel had quietly asked him how Nico had been he had lied and said fine. She had looked doubtful but Frank had passed her a drink and she smiled fondly at him, completely forgetting about Leo. He had been okay with that, he was used to it.

Then everyone in the lounge had been herded into the freezing dining room and served the meal. It was supposed to be a sort of curry but it was about as spicy as a wet dog in Leo's opinion. The best thing about the cruise was the Argo itself. The ship was like a giant beast with the passengers crawling inside it. Leo had always felt a connection to machines in a way that no one else did, almost understanding machines more than people. They were much more logical and didn't do anything stupid or cruel.

The plates had been cleared by the quiet, barely noticeable kitchen staff. Leo found it funny how most people ignored the staff, as if they were invisible - unless they made mistakes. The other night one poor guy had dropped a plate of soup, causing some of it to splash onto Drew T, one of the many evil brats on the ship. She had thrown a massive tantrum, yelling that the server had ruined her Gucci bag. She had only stopped when Piper, who Drew had hated since Jason had gone out with her, walked over and poured water on the girls head giving the shocked server a chance to escape. It had been a pretty funny moment; especially as Piper had coldly said, "Maybe this will help to wash out the stain" just before pouring the glass onto Drew's carefully styled hair.

Just remembering the incident made Leo chuckle but it had made Drew a very angry enemy of Piper and her friends. It was lucky that Drew was as stupid as she was spoiled, which was very. She tried unsuccessfully to get back at Piper but she didn't have the brain space to do more than critize Pipers worn ski jacket. And seeing as Piper didn't care at all about fashion and was dating the guy Drew liked she could not care less. Anyway they had bigger things to worry about. Percy and Annabeth had gotten in a fight with a boy called Kronos who, along with his sister Gaia, had decided that they were going to personally get back and ruin Percy and his friends lives. Gaia also particularly hated Leo as he had "accidentally" set her bag on fire after she had tried to hit Hazel.

Gaia and Kronos were as cruel as they were ugly, also a very, but they were also quite smart. They also had a loyal army of dumb but brawny followers, nicknamed the Monsters, had been easily convinced that Percy and his friends were their new punch bags. All in all, it was pretty much war between the two groups. A bunch of the monsters had beaten up Grover so Leo had rigged the coms system in their rooms to randomly play Justin Bieber in the middle of the night. In return they had chased down Leo and Tyson (who only got away due to their expert knowledge of the ship and it's engines) but then found all their clothes in the swimming pool, courtesy of Percy.

Neither side told Chiron or Mellie and definitely not Coach Hedge who was still in the habit of carrying a baseball bat round the ship. His megaphone had been discarded after a trick of Leo's had caused it to make his voice sound like he had inhailed helium every time he used it. Permanently. Leo had been in massive trouble about that one but it was worth it to see Coach Hedges face turn bright red as his squeaky voice yelled angry orders out of the megaphone.

After dinner the group had dispersed, back to their rooms. Leo wasn't suprised to find that Nico was not there. As he began to make his way to Percy and Jason's room where he usually spent his evenings messing around with a bunch of scraps while chatting with Percy, Frank and Jason. Sometimes Annabeth, Piper and Hazel turned up. It was fun and less lonely than sitting alone in his room.

But tonight as he was about to knock on the door of their room he heard angry voices coming from round the corner of the corridor. Maybe it was his ADHD or maybe Leo just had a natural instinct to throw himself into whatever trouble he could find; a sort of death wish if you will. Whatever it was Leo had a natural instinct to throw himself into whatever trouble he could find. He stuck his head round the corner and saw Zethes and Cal standing over something. No, someone.

Zethes was a spotty pervert who flirted with anything female that moved, especially Piper much to her disgust and annoyance, and his brother Calais who was too stupid to say anything with more than two syllables including his own name. Literally, he couldn't say his name and instead called himself Cal. Leo felt a bit sorry for the guy as he wasn't really violent just dumb and loyal. But Zethes was a slimy git and Leo guessed he was probably beating some poor kid up as per usual. Only the other Percy had dived into the pool to pull out a quiet girl called Echo who had been shoved in by the pair and couldn't swim very well. Leo had no idea how anyone on the ship was supposed to get over whatever issues they had with bullied like Zethes, gaia or Kronos on board. They seemed to get their kicks out of torturing other people, probably small fuzzy animals as well.

Leo definitely had some sort of death wish as a moment later he found himself pulling Zethes roughly aside to reveal Nico DiAngelo glaring evilly at Cal and clutching his shoulder. Zethes swung round to face Leo, a sleazy smile on his ugly mug. "Oh, it looks like we've got a volunteer. Aren't you lucky Nico? Cal." He ordered his brother. Leo froze for a moment but then as Cal lumbered forward, a dumb grin on his face, he realised what was happening. He dodged round Cal and yelled to Nico, "Run!" He just hoped the other boy would have the good sense to follow him. Zethes and Cal chased them but fell behind quickly as Nico and Leo were much smaller and faster. They rounded a corridor only to be faced by a blank wall and ornamental end table. Nico swore loudly, cursing Leo. "Oi, give me a minute," Leo said, rummaging around in his yellow tool belt for what he needed.

Pulling out a small screwdriver he hoisted himself up onto the end table. Reaching up and muttering to himself he started unscrewing the two small screws on the air vent in the ceiling. Nico, realising what Leo was planning, whispered angrily, "Hurry up! I can hear them!" He was still clutching his shoulder and breathing heavily from the running. The last screw came loose and Leo shoved it into a pocket along with the screwdriver as the vent swung down, just large enough for Nico and Leo to fit through. He pulled himself up and swung himself round to extend a hand to Nico who had already clambered up onto the table, glancing behind him fearfully - expecting to see Cal andZethes run round the corner any moment.

Nico pulled himself up, with help from Leo and slammed the grate shut, holding it there just as Zethes appeared round the corner. The vent space was cramped, Nico and Leo both hunched over uncomfortably with their heads brushing the metal ceiling. The air was stuffy and hot and Leo's palms were sweaty already. He was pressed up against Nico and both of them were trying to breathe quietly. Zethes' voice echoed up strangly from the corridor, "Damnit! We lost them. They must have taken another turning. If we go back now we might find them. Come on Cal." The pair disappeared round the corner, rushing to catch the imaginary Leo and Nico.

The real Nico and Leo breathed a sigh of relief and Nico slowly let the grate swing down. The pair slid out and Leo closed the grate again, pulling the screws and screwdriver out of his pocket. Nico spoke up grudgingly, "Thanks. You know, for helping me. It was a kind of stupid idea but it worked. Thanks." Leo gave a half laugh as he reached up to replace the screws, "Yeah, it was pretty risky. But it wasn't that much of a gamble, I mean, there are a vents all over this floor - coming from the engine it was just a matter of getting ahead of them enough. And it's not the first time I've had to get into the ventilation system of a place. It's a really funny story actually," he turned his head to glance at Nico but the boy had already gone. Shrugging and frowning he shoved e second screw and screwdriver back into his tool belt and made his way to Jason's and Percy's where he had been headed originally. At least he had something interesting to talk about now.


	7. Chapter 7: Hear Me (Imagine Dragons)

**Hey! I haven't really made any author notes before but I wanted to say Happy New Year! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews and for liking and following. I do plan to reply to reviews at some point but I keep forgetting. Sorry. But thank you anyway and if you do see a mistake please feel free to point it out cause I'll probably make a few mistakes and I'd rather they were corrected. **

**Also I just want to say that future chapters will have various disorders such as pyromania or kleptomania but I will always do research before writing that into the story. As I'm not an expert and I'm mainly using Wikipedia please tell me if I do portray a something incorrectly and I will try to fix it so it fits with the story.**

**Once again thank you all so much for reviewing/liking/following and you are all amazing. **

Nico opened his eyes. A scream bubbled in his throat but it didn't escape his lips. There was something heavy on his chest, squatting there. He couldn't breathe; it was squashing his lungs. Nico tried to lift his hand to swat it away but he couldn't. He was paralysed. Again. There were sounds as well, growls, bumps and scratching sounds that would have made him flinch, if he could have moved. Couldn't Leo, who Nico could just about see asleep, hear it? It was deafening for Nico. He was trying to gasp for breath but whatever was on his chest didn't move. Nico was terrified, he was going to die. He couldn't breath of move and there was something in the room. Something evil, coming for him like it had come for Bianca. He was going to die. He had to move but he was stuck. He was going to die.

Nico sat up, gasping for breath and shaking. He grasped the sheet with both hands as a suppressed sob shook his body. A scream had begun to build up in his throat but he swallowed it with a deep breath. He glanced over at Leo and was relieved to see that the boy was still fast asleep, frowning slightly. He didn't want to wake Leo in the middle of the night as the Latino boy had always been kind to him. He didn't want to force his problems onto Leo. He had already helped Nico enough, standing up for him when Cal and Zethes had decided he'd be a good punch bag a few days ago. He could still remember his heart pumping and face stinging as they ran along the corridors, Leo's hand around his wrist, dragging him into the ventilation system. He could remember the closeness and warmth of Leo, their breaths mixing as Zethes and Cal wandered about down below.

Nico quietly slid of the bed, still shivering as he was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. He usually had nightmares or sleep paralysis but they hadn't been this bad for a while. This time, instead of just darkness, there had been things in the shadows. Things that hated him and were coming for him. People he had known. He wasn't scared of shadows and darkness but the clawing malice he had felt resonating from the things terrified him.

Nico made his way to the door, quietly so not to wake Leo, and found his aviators jacket with shaking hands. He couldn't shake the feeling that something was behind, creeping up to grab him. As he stepped forward to find his shoes he tripped over a bag of Leo's stuff lying on the floor. He cursed loudly as he fell, crashing into the dresser with a loud crash while the scraps in the bag made a loud clanging. Leo sat up suddenly, his eyes wide and confused. He looked around startled and still half asleep and said worriedly, "Calypso?"

Nico groaned. The night just kept getting better. His foot hurt from where he had stubbed it and his shoulder ached from slamming into the dresser. Now Leo was awake as well, with his questions and stubbornness on getting a proper answer. Leo looked down to the foot of his bed where Nico was sprawled on the floor awkwardly. His brow furrowed and he asked, "Wait, what's going on? Nico?" Nico sighed and clambered up, clutching his bruised shoulder. "Nothing," he replied nonchalantly, " I'm just going out and I tripped. Sorry I woke you up." Leo glanced at clock, checking the time before saying in a disbelieving voice, "You're going for a walk at 4:07 in the morning?" Nico shrugged and didn't offer an explanation. Leo yawned and swung his feet out of his bed, "Okay then. Mind if I come too? I won't be able to go back to sleep and anyway, if I did I'd just dream again and I hate that dream."

Nico stared at Leo, suprised. He had expected the boy to try and stop him or just turn round and go back to sleep but here he was, his hair comically messy, looking at him expectantly. Nico didn't really want Leo to go with him but he felt bad saying no and he knew what Leo meant about not wanting to go back to sleep because of the dreams that waited for you. He also remembered how Leo had pretty much single handedly stopped him being beaten to a pulp. So he nodded and said nothing, waiting as Leo pulled a jacket on and slipped on his ridiculous panda slippers.

They crept along the corridor not speaking so they wouldn't wake anyone in the rooms. When the pair finally reached the stairway Leo turned to Nico and asked, "So, do you usually go on early morning strolls about the decks?" Nico kept silence for a moment but then replied cautiously, "Sometimes. I have nightmares and I just need to get out into the fresh air. You know." The last part was said to cover up Nicos confession but Leo nodded seriously, "Yeah, I know."

The two fell silent as they emerged into the cold sea air. Nico shivered and pulled his jacket closer but he noticed Leo didn't seem to be affected. Instead the boy had produced a lighter from one of his many pockets and was flicking it on and off. "Aren't you cold?" inquired Nico staring at the flame that was flickering in and put of existence. Leo shrugged, "No. I don't really feel cold much. I've got a ridiculously high metabolism. I spent most of my childhood being sent home from school cause the teachers thought I had a fever." Nico glared jealously at Leo who hadn't even bothered to do up his jacket. He was the opposite of Nico who was always cold, temperature-wise and attitude. There was no way a friendly guy like Leo could understand Nico. "You are so lucky. I'm freezing," he muttered.

Leo made a sympathetic noise and bumped his arm into Nico. Nico jumped away startled but he saw Leo chuckling and reluctantly returned to the warmer area near Leo, smiling slightly at Leo's infectious laugh. Leo, seeing the slight grin, feigned shock, grasped at his heart and dramatically announced, "Good heavens! You can smile! A true miracle!" Nico scowled but he wasn't really annoyed. It had been along time since anyone had joked around with him, not since Bianca's accident. He didn't really know how to react. "Do you ever take anything seriously?" He asked Leo who tilted his head to the side, pretending to think seriously about the question before replying, "Nope. I have a policy everything is better when it's funny." Nico thought about Leo's words for a moment and shrugged. The conversation lapped for a moment before Leo pointed out casually, "but you take everything seriously. Can you even make jokes?" Nico glanced at the other boy, a bit insulted. "Of course I can. Sort of." Nico raised his eyebrows and Leo sighed before amending sullenly, "Not really."

Nico had to snigger at that. Leo groaned and rolled his eyes, purposely veering into Nicos path causing him to jump back into a puddle. Leo laughed at him and dodged away from the faux blow Nico sent his way. He had to laugh with Leo, it was nearly impossible not to. As the two sniggered together a realisation suddenly hit Nico. He hadn't laughed properly like this in months. Not since his father had married evil bitch stepmother Persephone at least. Hazel had been able to make him laugh earlier on but when Persephone had moved in with their small family he had been too sad for too long. He stopped laughing suddenly, causing Leo to glance at him in concern. "What's wrong?" He asked. Nico opened his mouth, about to reply but he decided not to. Shutting his mouth he shook his head, slightly disgusted at himself. He had promised himself ages ago not to dump his problems on other people. He didn't know why but something about Leo, maybe the warmth or sense of humour, had almost made him want to tell Leo about he felt, things he couldn't even tell his family or one of his many councillers.

To his suprise Leo didn't push the issue, just asking casually, "Nightmares and stuff? They really take it out of you, huh?" It was nice of Leo to offer Nico a way out but he just gave a short bitter laugh. "If only," Nico replied maliciously, "but not only do I get awful sleep I wake up to sleep paralysis. I can't move and my nightmares follow me. It's like the worst dream you can imagine but I'm awake and it physically feels like I'm dying." Nico stopped short, realising he had just gone and done exactly what he had been thinking about not doing; confessing some of his darkest problems to someone who was pretty much a stranger.

Noticing Leo had pulled out the lighter again and was flicking the flame on and off, Nico snapped at him, mainly out of irritation at himself. "Will you stop that?" Leo grimaced and pocketed the lighter, holding his hands up in a surrender gesture, "Fine, calm down. It's a habit of mine. Pyromaniac, remember?" Nico mumbled an apology, flushing slightly. Something in the casual way Leo had spoken reminded him that he wasn't the only person in the world with problems. Everyone on the ship had issues of one kind or another. It made him feel selfish and less wrapped up in himself than he had been in ages. It seemed to be a common theme of hanging out with Leo.

The pair walked in slilence, Nico quietly freezing. As Leo and Nico reached the main mast, where Nico had dropped his book next to Leo weeks ago, an angry male shout came from the darkness. Leo cursed under his breath in Spanish before muttering, "Coach Hedge. If we're caught, we're dead. Come on!" With that he grabbed Nicos wrist and sprinted in the opposite direction.

Running away from people seemed to be another common theme of life around Leo.

**I would like to take this moment to remind you all that Leo was wearing panda slippers this whole chapter. Thank you.**


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